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Koji Kabuto (TV)
Koji Kabuto is the main protagonist of Mazinger Z and the main pilot of the mech of the same name, as well as a supporting protagonist in Great Mazinger and Grendizer. Along with the Mazinger, Koji is famed for breaking the mold of main characters of the time, being hot-blooded and confident to the point of arrogance rather than heroic and/or conflicted. Appearance Koji is a teenager of average height with an athletic build, brown eyes, and black spiked hair that is combed back along with forward facing sideburns. Background Koji is the son of Kenzo Kabuto and an unknown mother, as well as the grandson of Juzo Kabuto. His parents were thought to have been killed in a laboratory experiment that went wrong so Juzo took in Koji and his younger brother Shiro Kabuto. However, Koji was the one that took the "mother hen" role of the family when Juzo started to obsessively work on a secret project. By the time Koji got into high school he met several people including the bully Boss and the daughter of a colleague of Juzo's Sayaka Yumi who Koji gained a romantic interest in (the feeling became mutual). Personality Compared to most characters in manga and anime during the 1970's Koji is hot-blooded, impulsive, bratty, reckless, and usually over-confident. Believing he can beat anyone with the Mazinger, he often got himself into trouble several times during the fights against Dr. Hell, which got him into several arguments with Sayaka. Overtime, Koji showed growth by fighting enemies more equally and never giving up even when near death. He possesses a strong will, never backing down from a challenge even when the Mazinger is badly beaten and can no longer fight. Beneath this hot-blooded exterior is a compassionate side Koji usually only shows to his loved ones. As his grandfather became too busy to take care of him and Shiro, Koji became the parental figure of his family; becoming very protective of Shiro after Juzo's death as Koji believed that Shiro was the only family he had left. He is also protective of Sayaka, wanting her not to go into battle without him. However, he usually sounds sexist while saying this which gets them both into a heated argument. Nonetheless Koji cares about Sayaka and will do anything to protect her. Koji's most famous trait was calling the names of the Mazinger's attacks, occasionally even doing the movements the Mazinger makes to execute them. This is mainly Go Nagai's way of bringing robot and pilot together as one. Relationships Family Koji cares deeply about his family with the death of his parents and the eventual estrangement between him and Juzo. However, Koji still loved his grandfather and keeps the Mazinger Z as a precious memento of him. With Juzo's death Koji became determined to avenge his grandfather by fighting Dr. Hell and his Mechanical Beasts. With Shiro being Koji's only living blood relative, he became very protective of his little brother; not wanting Shiro to get involved in any fights with Dr. Hell. In Great Mazinger, Koji reunites with his father who everyone believed was dead which brought relief to Koji, but the reunion was short lived when Kenzo died in an attack by Great Marshall Hell. Koji also bonded with Kenzo's adopted son Tetsuya Tsurugi, especially after their father's death. Love Interests Koji's main love interest is his partner and girlfriend Sayaka Yumi. While they argue a lot and occasionally Sayaka bops Koji on the head for his recklessness, they do geniunely care about each other. Koji never wants Sayaka to fight alone against the Mechanical Beasts fearing for her safety, although when he tries to explain this he occasionally sounds sexist which results in physical abuse from Sayaka. While Koji loves Sayaka, other girls often catch his eye such as Boss's cousin Misato (much to Sayaka's irritation). In Grendizer (where Sayaka is nowere to be seen) Koji expresses interest in Hikaru Makiba after she shows her piloting skills. But Hikaru loves Koji's friend Duke Fleed and prefers to be just friends with Koji. Duke's younger sister Maria Fleed falls in love with Koji and it is somewhat hinted that he is attracted to her even though they never stop arguing. Friends While Koji mainly sees Boss and his gang as a nuisance, they become good friends as the series moves on. He also becomes good friends with Duke Fleed, even after it is revealed that he is an alien and the crown prince from Planet Fleed. He also joins Duke in battle against the Vegan froces, even though his vehicles and mechs have much lower power than Duke's Grendizer. History Mazinger Z Koji began his adventures when he heard an explosion in his grandfather's laboratory. With his grandfather barely alive when he finds him, Koji tries to help Juzo but the professor told him it was pointless and instead showed Koji his secret project, Mazinger Z. Juzo explained to Koji why he created the Mazinger, in the anime he also spoke about Dr. Hell and died leaving everything up to Koji. Koji, saddened by his grandfather's death piloted the Mazinger to battle a recently appeared Mechanical Beast. He explains everything that happened to Sayaka, her father Gennosuke Yumi, and Shiro after this and they agree to help Koji though Koji argues with Sayaka about joining in the battle. In the manga, the robot went on a rampage due to his unfamiliarity with it, destroying parts of Tokyo with even the military and Sayaka piloting the Aphrodite A proving to be useless. Getting things under control with help from Sayaka, he confronts the Mechanical Beasts attacking the Photon Power Laboratory and easily defeats them. With his old home destroyed, Koji and Shiro move to a new house and transfer schools. One after another, Dr. Hell sends Mechanical Beasts to attack Japan with the Mazinger fighting and defeating them with assistance from Sayaka and her mechs. Once Koji and company encountered a mech originally designed by Juzo but created by Dr. Hell, Minerva X which although neither enemy nor ally showed attraction to the Mazinger. However she was destroyed by Hell's orders for its disobedience. With some parts of it still remaining, Koji had the Mazinger use its Rust Hurricane to honor the living mech. In one fight with a Mechanical Beast, Koji is injured and in a coma with Sayaka trying to pilot the Mazinger but like Koji on his first try it went on a rampage. Koji woke up and helped Sayaka get it under control. Eventually, all of the Mechanical Beasts have run out and Koji and co. take the fight to Dr. Hell's island fortress. It is here that Koji finally avenges his grandfather by having the Mazinger destroy the island and Hell's flying fortress. But although Dr. Hell was defeated, the Mycenae Empire started its attack. With the Mazinger still recovering from the last battle with Dr. Hell, it could not put up much of a fight for the gigantic Mycenae generals. With little repairs to effectively fight the invading empire, Koji decides to fight until the end while saying his goodbyes to his friends. In a fight with the Great General of Darkness, before he is dealt the finishing blow Koji is saved by the Great Mazinger and it's pilot Tetsuya Tsurugi. Great Mazinger Leaving Japan in Tetsuya and his partner Jun Hono's hands, Koji and Sayaka travel to America to repair the Mazinger and study space travel. By the time Dr. Hell returns as the new General of the Mikene Empire with the Great General's defeat, Koji comes back with a stronger Mazinger and reunites with his long-lost father Kenzo Kabuto. Effectively, Koji begins to rebond with his father, with Tetsuya becoming jealous of the attention Koji is getting from him. Eventually, Kenzo is killed by Great General Hell and Koji and Tetsuya begin the final assult on the Mycenae Empire. Hell is finally defeated for good with the teamwork of Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. Grendizer Having retired from fighting with the Mazinger, Koji had spent his time creating the TFO and establishing contact with extraterrestrial life. Having come back from NASA, he tries to make contact with an alien force despite warnings from a ranch worker and adopted son of one of the Space Science Center scientists, Daisuke Umon. However, the alien force was the Vegan Empire, and took Koji hostage. Daisuke saves Koji revealing his true identity as Prince Duke Fleed with the Super Robot the Grendizer. Koji decides to work together with Duke with further assistance from Hikaru Makiba and Duke's sister Maria Fleed. In the anime movie, Koji is brainwashed and fights Duke in the Great Mazinger until it was deactivated. By the final battle, Duke and his allies fight against the Vegan force, destroying them with Duke and Maria saying their goodbyes to their friends. Koji is assumed to have returned to the Space Science Center to continue finding intelligent life. Equipment and Abilities Piloting At the start of the series, Koji's only special skill was motorcycle driving. Finding the Mazinger Z and going through several battles, Koji became a top class pilot. Even when piloting the Great Mazinger, Koji demonstrated finese as much as its predecessor. He has shown to pilot almost any vehicle including the Spazers. Robots *'Mazinger Z': Koji's first robot designed by his grandfather, Koji has always used this in major battles until Grendizer. *'Great Mainger': a robot designed by Koji's father for Tetsuya Tsurugi, when Koji was brainwashed by the Vegan, he took this from the robot museum to fight Duke Fleed and the Grendizer. *'Grendizer': Duke's robot built by scientists of the Planet Fleed, while Koji did not pilot it in the anime, he briefly did in the manga but saw it was too complex for his tastes. Vehicles *'Motorcycles': Koji has always ridden motorcycles, usually to blow off steam or for rides with Sayaka when there is no danger. Even when their is danger, Koji is always focused and drives with great skill to get where he needs to be. Koji owns his personal custom bike known as the Kabuto No. *'Hover Pilder': The control center for Mazinger Z, it is not very fast or aerodynamic and is eventually destroyed. **'Jet Pilder': The new control center for Mazinger Z. Compared to the Hover Pilder it is much faster and agile and is useful in a dogfight. *'TFO': A flying saucer of Koji's design built mainly for getting around but it is filled with weapons for assisting the Grendizer. *'Spazers': spacecrafts used to assist the Grendizer each one built for land, sea, and air; Koji has piloted all three. Combat Koji fights in an unorthodox fighting style, it mainly focuses on grappling and hitting opponents in sensitive areas. He is able to hold himself in a fight, even when the opponent is armed with a weapon. Suits and Weapons Koji originally gained a pilot suit for his protection when piloting the Mazinger. It is made with Super Alloy Z which offers great defense from conventional weaponry. It also has a holster for a Photon Gun that can be used to attack enemies. The helmet is shaped after the Photonic Research Lab. In Grendizer, Koji is given a new pilot suit, compared to the original black and red costume, this one is blue and has a mouthpiece. Intelligence At the start of the series, Koji's brashness presided over everything including strategy and sometimes even common sense. Overtime he becomes more intelligent thinking of good and accurate strategies and by Grendizer has created his own hovering vehicle. Other skills The manga demonstrated Koji's cooking ability. Since his grandfather had usually been too busy to prepare meals for him and Shiro, Koji often made meals for his family. Not only do Koji's meals taste good, he is also able to make specialized dishes based on the Mazinger's attacks such as a dissolving dish based on the Rust Hurricane. Etymology Kabuto is Japanese for 'Helmet' which fits Koji's role as the Mazinger Z's pilot as he docks a vehicle on top of the mech's head. Appearances in other Media As Mazinger Z is one of Go Nagai's most famous works, Koji has appeared in several different media often with the Mazinger or Sayaka. *''New Cutie Honey'': Koji and Sayaka are seen for a few seconds before the screen shifts. Trivia *As stated in an interview with Go Nagai, Koji was originally a design for Yasohachi Yamagishi the male protagonist of Harenchi Gakuen one of Nagai's early works. Category:Manga Characters Category:Anime Characters Category:Photon Power Laboratory